Conventionally, in the case of inspecting finish surface accuracy of electronic components such as chips, each surface of these chips has been inspected by a worker using a loupe or the like. However, in the above-mentioned inspection, the worker takes these chips by his hand one by one, and then, visibly inspects them; for this reason, there are many cases where defects such as micro scratch and deformation have been overlooked. As a result, this is a factor of mixing defectives in products. Further, the worker is fatigued with the inspection; for this reason, he has a heavy workload. In addition, a problem arises such that great unevenness is caused in inspection accuracy depending upon worker's skill.
In view of the above problem, for example, the following apparatus has been proposed in Japanese Utility Model Application Laid-Open (Kokai) No. 52-83184. The apparatus rotates an inspection object at a predetermined angle in a process for moving the inspection object while automatically inspecting it. The apparatus includes first and second conveyers, and is constructed in a manner of reversing the moving inspection object placed on the first conveyer, and transferring it onto the second conveyer, and further, inspecting a surface exposed on the upper side of the inspection object on each conveyer by a camera, and thereby, inspecting both sides of the inspection object.
However, the above apparatus requires a mechanism for reversing the inspection object between the first and second conveyers; for this reason, a problem arises such that the structure becomes complicate. Further, in order to reverse the inspection object, the first and second conveyers can not be linearly arranged; for this reason, a predetermined space is required in a vertical direction as conveyer arrangement space, whereby a problem arises such that the apparatus is made into a large size.